Chapter 1

I was late to my boyfriend's birthday party.

As I pushed open the door to the private room, he was in the middle of a story. "Jessica Wynn's like a dead fish in bed. She doesn't even make a sound. It's a total buzzkill.

"Sometimes, only looking at her like that, I can't even bring myself to get intimate with her."

The room erupted in knowing laughter.

When I walked in, David Foster shot me a sideways glance. "What's with the sour face? Did I say something wrong?"

Strangely, I didn't feel angry or embarrassed at all.

I smiled, walked over, and slapped him hard across the face.

Then I picked up a glass from the table and calmly poured the drink over his head.

*****

"Honestly, with Jessica like that, I might as well take care of myself," David scoffed.

"Don't be fooled by how lively she usually is. Once she's in bed, she lies there, totally silent, talk about a buzzkill," he added.

"Dave, you must be dying of frustration, huh? Sucks to be going celibate at your age," one of his buddies teased.

As I pushed open the door, David's mocking voice hit my ears loud and clear.

The whole group was eating it up, laughing every now and then.

Next to David, a girl with chestnut curls was cracking up so hard she could barely sit still.

That was David's new assistant, Natalie Stone.

David and I had been together for ten years.

That was ten years.

We started out sharing instant mac and cheese in a damp basement, and later, we celebrated when our company secured its first round of funding.

We'd had our share of fights and arguments, sometimes getting so heated about the company's direction that we'd end up red in the face.

But I never thought the man who fought by my side and shared my bed would make our private life the punchline at his drinking table, for his friends to laugh at.

I didn't slow down. My heels clicked as I marched straight up to the table.

With David staring at me in shock, I pulled out the chair next to him and sat down gracefully.

"Why so quiet all of a sudden?" I looked around with a smile. "Wasn't it lively now? Mind letting me in on the joke?"

Everyone glanced at each other, suddenly fascinated by their drinks, not a single person daring to make a sound.

David's grin disappeared in a flash.

He slammed his glass down. "Who are you making that face at? It's my birthday, do you have to ruin the vibe for everyone?"

It was his birthday, so I bit my tongue and kept my cool.

Seeing me stay silent, he got all smug, like he'd scored a win. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Let me tell you something, Jessica."

"David," I cut him off, my voice calm but firm. "You've had too much to drink. It's your birthday, I don't want to fight."

He paused, his mouth opening like he wanted to say something else.

But when he met my eyes, he snorted and took another big gulp from his glass.

Then, Natalie got to her feet.

She picked up a glass of red wine and minced her way over to me, each step small and careful. "Ms. Wynn, Mr. Foster's had a bit too much to drink tonight. Please don't be upset."

Before she could finish, her hand suddenly twitched.

The deep red wine soaked my white shirt completely.

The cold liquid slid down my collar, the stain blooming across the fabric.

Natalie covered her mouth, her eyes going red as she looked like she was about to burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Wynn. I didn't mean to."

She grabbed some tissues, trying to dab at the stain on my shirt.

Without thinking, I lifted my hand to block her.

But before I could, David clamped down hard on my wrist.

The sharp pain in my bones made me frown.

"Are you finished with your drama?" David's face darkened as he shoved me hard, pulling Natalie protectively behind him.

He glared down at me, clearly annoyed. "I'm the one who said it. If you've got a problem, take it up with me. Picking on a young girl? Seriously?"

Natalie cowered behind him, her shoulders trembling.

She was the heiress of Stone Holdings, but after a bitter power struggle with her half-brother Michael Stone, she lost the fight for control of the company.

After she lost all influence within the Stone family, she had to strike out on her own and find a new path in life.

When HR first sent me her resume, I rejected it without a second thought.

David came to talk to me himself.

I told him straight up, "We don't hire people who aren't here for the right reasons."

But he slammed his hand on the table and snapped, "Jessica, she's here for a job. Why do you have to overthink everything?

"Or are you jealous that she's got more tech skills than you, scared she'll take your spot as head of tech?" he snapped.

He was so determined to get Natalie into the company that he even dug up our original startup agreement to pressure me.

"We agreed from the very beginning, you take care of tech, I'm in charge of HR and finance. So what, now you want to interfere with my hiring decisions too?" he demanded.

Over the years, as the company found its footing, his ambition to stick his nose into the tech department got more obvious.

In the end, even after I flat-out refused to add anyone to the tech team, he bulldozed over everyone's objections.

He still shoved Natalie into the company.

Her position magically changed from tech manager to his personal assistant.